Fastener



Dec. 27, 11938.

' W. F. POCH FASTENER Filed oct. e, 1958 INVENTOR 1 F @n T0715' u o0 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE i FASTENER William F. Pioch, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application October 6, `1938, Serial No. 233,627

3 Claims. (Cl. 24-255) The object of my invention is to provide a end of the base is provided with a tongue I3 fastener especially adapted for fastening hywhich is formed from the material of the base draulic tubing to automobile frame and chassis and Which extends towards the pOCkeIi I2- The members. This tubing comprises conventional tongue I3 is spaced just slightly above the basel I.

5 1A diameter steel tubing which is used in con- The base II is adapted to be spot welded, as 5 nection with hydraulic brakes, the tubing extend- ShOWn by CI'OSSeS III in Figure 2, IDO the member ing from a master cylinder at the center of the t which the tube is to be secured. In the illuscar along the vehicle frame and torque tube to traIiiOn the base iS Spell Welded t0 a radins rOd positions adjacent to the respective wheels of the I5, but it may be fastened IJO the rarne Of the Car l0 car. It is highly desirable that such tubing may 0r any Other member, in like manner- After the 10 be quickly assembled on the chassis and that base is welded in place, the tube is inserted into when the tubing is once assembled it will be the pocket I2 and a resilient retaining clip I6 is permanently fastened in place. The use of snapped ntO positionscrews and bolts and the like for such fastening The retaining Clip I6 iS formed from at spring l is unsatisfactory because of the danger of these Steel Strips having a width the same as that of 15 becoming loose in which case the tube might the baSe II. One end 0f the Clip I5 iS prOVided readily be pulled out of position and broken by with a notch II of a width suflicient that the clip contact with projections on the road. The obmay straddle the tongue I3. The other end of ject of my invention is, therefore, to provide a the Clip I5 iS prOVided With an ear I9 Which fits 2o fastening device which does not depend upon into the notch I8, While the intermediate por- 2o screws nor the like for securing the tube in posi- IGOII 0f JOlie Clip iS hlllnped at 20 S0 that Iille Clip tion, and by means of which the tubes may be may be pushed into position. quickly and permanently installed when the car After the tube I0 is assembled into the pocket is being assembled. I2, the retaining clip I6 is pushed into position With these and other objects in view my inven- With the notch I'I straddling the tongue I3, aS 25 tion consists in the arrangement, construction ShOWn in Figure 2. The Clip, being fOrrned aS and combination of the two parts which comprise shown in Figure 6, will resist this movement but my improved fastener, as described in the speciwhen enough pressure iS applied t0 Iille llump cation, claimed in my claims, and illustrated in 20, the Clip Will n'lOVe t0 Position Where Ille ear the accompanying drawing, in which: I9 snaps down into the notch I8. Shoulders 2l 30 Figure l is a double sized plan view of my im- On the clip are prevented by the end of the base proved clip, showing the tube fastened in posifrom permitting longitudinal movement of the tion. clip. The only way that the clip can be removed Figure 2 is a vertical central sectional View iS I'JO firSI" Spring the ear I9 011i? beyond the bentthrough the fastener shown in Figure 1. over portion I2 and then, while in this position, 35

Figure 3 is a plan View similar to Figure 1, moving the clip lengthwise. This can only be showing an alternate construction. done with the use of a screw driver or some other Figure 4 is a vertical central sectional view tool and cannot in any Case be dOne by ObJ'eCtS taken through the clip shown in Figure 3. striking the Clip- Figure I5 is a full sized view of my improved It will be noted from Figure 2 that the tube is 40 clip installed on one of the radius rods associurged into the pocket by the ear I9 and that as ated with a m'otor vehicle, and the pocket I2 is slightly recessed into the base I I,

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the spring movement of the tube in any direction is resilifastener, showing its free contour. ently resisted. If, however, sufficient pressure is Referring to the accompanying drawing, I have exerted longitudinally in the direction shown by 45 used the reference numeral I0 to indicate the arrow 22, the clip will be forced outwardly beyond tube which it is desired to fasten in place. This the end of the bent portion I 2 so that it might betube is approximately 1A in diameter and may come loosened. be either of the seamless type or rolled, as desired, In order to prevent the occurrence of even this My improved fastening clip comprises an elonremote happening,Ihave shown an alternate con- 50 gated base member II, one end of which is bent struction in Figures 3 and 4 in which means are back upon itself as at I2 to form a hook or provided for positively preventing the above depocket into which the tube may be radially inscribed movement of the tube. In this construcserted. The end of the hook I2 is notched at I8, tion the base II is the same as that previously sa for a purpose later to be described. The other described. However, the clip differs from the previously'described clip in that a tongue 23 is pressed from metal of the clip, which tongue extends towards the pocket l 2. When the clip is assembled into position the tongue 23 is located in line with the diameter of the tube IU and, be- Y ing part of the retained end of the clip, does not spring outwardly even though the ear I9 oi the clip is moved outwardly. When this type of clip is used the tube is normally held by the ear I9, but should a pressure be exerted upon the tube IG in the direction of the arrow 22, the tongue 23 Y will positively prevent movement of the tube inl the only direction permitted by the pocket l2. Thus, it is impossible to dislodge the clip from the base. The ear I9 resiliently urges the tube i0 to its retained position and thus prevents rattling b-etween the parts. Y

Among the advantages obtained it may be well to mention that both the base member and the retaining clip are formed as relatively inexpensive sheet metal stampings, requiring no tapped holes or 'other expensive machine operations. Still further, the device is so constructed that it may be readily secured to any one of the various parts of the car and after the part has been assembled on the car frame, the tubes may be speedily dropped into the pockets and the retaining clip snapped into position much faster than it would be possible to secure screws or other devices in place. Y

Still further, the elimination of screws or other detachable fastening means which might shake loose is eliminated, thereby positively preventing the accidental dislocation of the tube from the retaining clip.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement, construction and combination of the two parts comprising my improved fastening device without departing from the spirit of my inven-V tion and it is my intention to cover by my claims such changes as maybe reasonably included within the scope thereof.

I claim as my invention: n 1. A fastener deviceV especially adapted to hold a tube in position comprising, a relatively flat sheet metal base, one end of which is bent around to form a pocket into which the tube maybe radially inserted, the opposite end of said base having a tongue extending toward said pocket in position spaced from said base, and a retaining clip formed of resilient sheet metal, said clip having one end notched so that it may straddle said tongue with the adjacent portion of the clip disposed beneath said tongue and having means projecting from the other end which coact with said base sothat when the notched end of the clip is inserted under said tongue, said means will urge said tube into said pocket and resiliently retain said tub-e therein. Y

2. A fastening device especially adapted to hold a tube in position comprising, a relatively flat sheet metal base, one end of which is bent to form a pocket into which a tube may be radially inserted, said bent portion having a notch formed in its outer end, the opposite end of said base having a tongue thereon extending toward said pocket in position spaced from` said base, and a retaining clip formed of resilient sheet metal, said clip having one end notched so that it may straddle said tongue with the adjacent portion of the clip disposed beneath said tongue and having an ear projecting'from the other end, said clip being preshaped so that when its notched end is inserted under said tongue, said ear will be urged into the notchedl end of said base and resiliently retain said tube in said pocket.

3. A fastening device especially adapted to hold a tube in position comprising, a relatively at rigid sheet metal base one end of which 1s bent to form, a pocket into which a tube may be radially inserted, the opposite end of said base having a tongue extending towards said pocket in position spaced from said base, and a retaining clip formed of resilient sheet metal, said clip having one end notched sothat it may straddle said tongue with the adjacent portion of the clip disposed beneath said tongue and having an ear projecting from its other end, said clip being preshaped so that when its notched end is inserted beneath said tongue, said clip will coact with the bent-up portion of said base and prevent the withdrawal of said clip from beneath said ear, the intermediate portion of said clip having a tongue formed from the metal thereof which extends from said notched end of the clip to the periphery of said tube so as to prevent the removal of said tube from said pocket independentlyof said ear.

WILLIAM F. PIOCH. 

